TO KEEP THE FAITH AND MILK THE COW

Kari Katheryn Seim was born May 1, 1925, in Rockford Township, Perkins County, South Dakota to Henry and Esther (Becker) Seim. Her father, Henry Seim, was the orphaned son of Norwegian immigrants. Although Henry was expected to die of kidney disease at an early age, yet he lived a full life, was the father of six children and saw them all grow into adulthood.

When Kari, the youngest of these six was born, her parents were worried that she would not survive and so had her baptized immediately. No one there that day could foresee the earthly part of what we celebrate today: the 92 rich years which God granted to Kari in this life. But we know from the baptism of their child, that Kari's family foresaw the eternal portion. They surely prayed that she would fight the good fight of faith and take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. I Timothy 6:12a.

Kari's mother's family came here from Chicago to homestead. They were a musical family, and we are blessed by that heritage yet today. One could not be around Kari for long without hearing her sing, hum, or whistle. We wish we had a recording of her singing "The Lord's Prayer" as she was asked to do for many others' memorial services.

Kari's best playmate growing up was her double cousin, Fern, who was very close in age. Kari's sister, Esther, although ten years older, was a lifelong friend. When Kari turned 16, they taught school together for a number of years. Each summer they attended classes in a different place for a bit of adventure. The summer of 1948 brought more than usual as Kari met her future husband, Albert Hoff. They married on June 4, 1949, and began a life together of faith, family and farming.

Their first house on their new farm west of Bison was the last remaining store building of the once thriving homestead town of Daviston. Even though Albert spent many hours atop its flat roof, tar bucket in hand, each rain brought a symphony of water ping-panging into containers strategically placed under each leak. Kari prophetically said that the old roof would blow off if Albert weren't there to keep it nailed on. Years later when Albert was able to build her a new house, her words came true. Two months after they moved out, the roof blew off the old house.

The whole family loved their new house: its spaciousness and indoor plumbing. Whereas before, Kari's life was filled with hard physical labor: milking cows while periodically running back to the house to peep in the window to check on her babies, working in the fields, and before they had adequate fencing, herding the cattle (something she had grown up doing); now with modern conveniences and children old enough to help, Kari's life was easier physically, but no less busy: cooking, canning, cleaning; driving her children to school, piano lessons, catechism classes.

One thing that never got easier for Kari, though, was driving "stick shift," especially a loaded grain truck. Her legs just weren't long enough. The children riding beside her were often amazed at how well a vehicle could perform, uphill and down, in just one gear!
More years went by. Kari's children were now living their own lives, and then her Albert was gone. Sometimes she forgot that and would wait for him to come. As she aged, Kari's mind was not always in the same spot geographically or chronologically as her body, so sometimes in the evening she would be faithfully waiting for her now long-gone brothers to come take her "home." But yet, in answer to prayer, she never forgot us, her children: Lance Albert, Ericka Katheryn, Linnea Kari, Louis John and Ronald Paul. If one of us would come or call, her beautiful smile would light up her face and sometimes, even after heart attack, stroke, cancer, dementia, and loss of nearly all words, we would hear, "Oh, how nice."

We thank and praise God that He answered every one of our prayers and took Mom safely home October 18, 2017. She leaves behind five children and their spouses, twenty-four grandchildren, forty-two great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

To God be the glory!

The Funeral Service for Kari Hoff, age 92 of Prairie City, will be held at 11:00am MT, Saturday, October 21, 2017 at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bison with Pastor Adam Polarski, officiating.

The funeral procession will leave from Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church at 2:00 to the Date Cemetery.

Serving as casketbearers are her grandsons.